Reviewed by: Patience Itson
How Bryant Bank’s founding shapes its modern-day service in Birmingham
Reading time: 6 minutes
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I bet you’ve never walked into a bank and felt like you’re at home. That’s exactly what happens at Bryant Bank, though—a testament to how each teller treats their clients like family. But it’s not just a cliche for Bryant Bank. It’s a tradition that extends back to its founding and beyond.
We spoke with three key leaders at Bryant Bank to find out more about the rich history of the Bank and what makes it different. Here’s what they said.
Bryant Bank’s rich history in Birmingham
Founded in 2005, Bryant Bank’s 20th birthday is coming up in just a couple of years. However, the Bank’s history goes back way before the early 2000s. Bobby Humphrey, Vice President of Business Development for Bryant Bank and former Alabama football player, gave us some background on how the idea for the Bank came to be.
Mr. Paul Bryant, Jr., the founder of Bryant Bank, recalls a time when banking was more than just depositing checks. To him, a bank wasn’t merely a brick-and-mortar structure.
What set his vision apart was the belief in a community bank—which is so much more than a physical building. It’s the people inside, the bankers passionately committed to fostering direct connections within the community.
“He always felt like the bank touched everybody, and it did so much for the community.”
Bobby Humphrey, Vice President of Business Development, Bryant Bank
So, the first Bryant Bank branch opened in 2005.
Seven years later, the American Bankers Association recognized the bank’s mission. Selected from 6,000 member banks, Bryant Bank won the National Community Service Award. The award honors the institution that has taken an innovative, creative and effective approach to make a difference in the community.
Bryant Bank’s legacy is embedded in its name
The Bryant name carries a lot of weight. Randy Jordan, Birmingham President of Bryant Bank, explained how special it truly is.
“Paul Bryant, Jr. has been involved in and owned a lot of different businesses over the years, but the Bank is the only thing that they’ve committed the Bryant name to—highlighting the importance they placed on the Bank.”
Randy Jordan, President, Bryant Bank Birmingham
“The Bryant name has a long, great legacy here in the state of Alabama.
They’ve been through the years very protective of that legacy, and it shows the commitment that Paul Bryant, Jr. has to the bank, its stability and its generational focus for years to come.”
Randy Jordan, Birmingham President, Bryant Bank
The Bryant family always placed an emphasis on community, quality and genuine interactions.
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Bryant Bank’s staff + tellers are invested in their customers
In a high-tech world focused on apps and online banking, Bryant Bank takes it back to the basics. Of course, they have all the modern features of banking, but they’ve also preserved the traditional style of banking—one that’s highly focused on human interaction.
There are currently 18 Bryant Bank locations in Alabama, and people are always the starting point for opening a new branch. In fact, the ownership chose locations based on the communities where family members live and work.
One thing you might notice when banking with Bryant Bank is there is no centralized call center. There’s a reason for that, and Michelle Smart, Vice President and Director of Marketing and Communications, explains why.
“While other banks staff a call center to help field easy to answer questions in one location, we want our customers to be connected to their very own Bryant Banker in their local community. We have one phone line designated to do just that—get that customer connected with someone who can help them.”
Michelle Smart, Vice President and Director of Marketing and Communications, Bryant Bank
Smart’s office is right off the lobby, so she overhears the friendly conversations unlike anything she’s experienced anywhere else.
“You would be amazed at the number of people who come to our lobby and, as they’re leaving say, ‘I love you—I’ll see you at church on Sunday,’ or ‘I love you—I’ll see you guys next week.’
Never in my life have I felt compelled to say that to someone as I’m walking out of a business, but you would be shocked at the number of people who say that and truly mean it.”
Michelle Smart, Vice President and Director of Marketing and Communications, Bryant Bank
And that’s just one of the ways that the Bryant Bank family shows care for each and every customer. That care extends beyond customers and into the community.
Bryant Bank’s impact on Birmingham
Bryant Bank quickly made its way to Birmingham after its founding, the city where Mr. Paul Bryant Jr.’s grandparents were from and where he was born himself. Nearly two decades later, it’s continuing to make an impact on the community.
Each year, Bryant Bank employees come together to volunteer at the Community Food Bank of Birmingham. One year, they broke the record for the numbers of boxes packaged in that amount of time. That’s just one example of the countless ways that Bryant Bankers are continuing to impact the Birmingham community.
“Our bank has taken on the pulse of Mr. Bryant and his love for the community and its people.”
Bobby Humphrey, Vice President of Business Development, Bryant Bank
Another way is through partnerships with local schools. Every year, Bobby Humphrey hand-delivers customized football schedules to schools and youth groups all over Alabama, but especially in Birmingham. He often gets the chance to speak to the students, spreading the message of positive goal-setting and making good decisions—both financial and life choices.
“We’ve really been blessed from the very beginning to have a group of people supported by our owners who are committed to doing banking in what we think is the right way. It may sound like a cliché, but our people genuinely care about their customers, they care about their communities and they care about each other.”
Randy Jordan, Birmingham President, Bryant Bank
Want to be a part of what Bryant Bank is doing for Birmingham? Get started now.
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